Fire destroys 14 homes in Nairobi's Majengo as families fight land ownership claim
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A fire in Bash, Pumwani Majengo destroyed 14 homes, leaving families sheltering in tents as rains pound the area while a dispute over the land blocks rebuilding.
Fourteen homes were destroyed when a fire broke out in Bash, Pumwani Majengo in Nairobi on Thursday at around 3pm and quickly spread from one house to neighbouring homes, The Eastleigh Voice reported.
Residents said they watched helplessly as their houses, clothes, bedding and household items went up in flames. Families tried to fight the blaze with water collected from nearby homes, including from across the road, and young people in the neighbourhood joined the effort to stop the flames spreading. Residents blamed the fire service for arriving late, saying they had called for help early enough but firefighters only came after residents had already begun battling the flames themselves.
With nowhere else to go, some families have been forced to share small tents put up by well-wishers, where parents and children sleep in cramped conditions, and the situation has worsened as rain continues to pound the area. Luna Abdallah Obonyo, a resident and Nyumba Kumi chairperson in the area who said she has lived there since 1984, said her family had nowhere to go and that families were squeezed into tents and temporary shelters. Felister Musangi, a resident and Nyumba Kumi official, said the community had hoped the emergency response would come sooner.
Residents now face a second problem: a dispute over the land where their homes stood. They say people arrived at the site after the fire claiming ownership of the land and told them not to rebuild. The tenants sought the intervention of the area administration, and Peter Kingori, the Assistant Chief of Majengo, said he instructed those claiming ownership to present the relevant documents so the matter could be addressed. Residents say they have lived on the land for decades and have been paying rent for their homes, with tenants paying between Sh1,500 and Sh2,800 depending on the type of house.
Residents are appealing to the government, humanitarian organisations and well-wishers for emergency support, including temporary shelter, food, bedding and construction materials such as timber, iron sheets, cement, sand and mattresses. For families who lost their homes, the ownership dispute has added another layer of uncertainty while they remain exposed to the weather.